New ROC ambassador to eSwatini to take office late August

Taipei, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday that it will send a new ambassador to eSwatini later this month to take up the vacancy left with the departure of Thomas Chen (???), who returned to Taiwan last month due to health issues.

Jeremy Liang (???), the incumbent head of MOFA's Department of Protocol, will assume the post in late August, said Grace Lo (???), deputy head of the ministry's Department of West Asia and African Affairs.

Chen was found seriously ill in his office June 22. He was taken to a hospital in South Africa for treatment, before being sent back to an eSwatini hospital June 29.

After recovering, he returned to Taipei last month, where he continued to be hospitalized, according to Lo.

During his absence, MOFA sent Tsai Ming-yaw (???), a former MOFA secretary-general, to the African country to serve as Taiwan's special envoy. Tsai is a former ambassador to eSwatini, who officially retired in July after serving 40 years in the foreign service.